Feed the Startup Beast by Drew Wiliams & Jonathan Verney - Book review

Feed the Startup Beast

A 7-Step Guide to Big, Hairy, Outrageous Sales Growth

By: Drew Williams, Jonathan Verney

Published: June 25, 2013
Format: Paperback, 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0071809058
ISBN-13: 978-0071809054
Publisher: McGraw-Hill












"Thanks to the web, there's never been a better time to be a growth-oriented entrepreneur - - provided you're willing to embrace the digital world in innovative new ways. The truth is, the Internet has leveled the playing field", write managing partner at nuRevenue Partners, Drew Williams; and president of the Corporate Storyteller Inc., Jonathan Verney in their very hands on and real world tested program based book Feed the Startup Beast: A 7-Step Guide to Big, Hairy, Outrageous Sales Growth . The authors describe their proven and repeatable seven-step technique for achieving huge growth and success in any entrepreneurial venture.

Drew Williams (photo left) and Jonathan Verney understand the critical importance of listening to others, before starting a business, and after its launch as well. Listening draws the entrepreneur's attention to great ideas, problems that require solutions, and the pain felt from challenges faced by customers. Instead of providing pages of theory about entrepreneurship, and about building an explosive growth business, the authors dive right into the program for developing a high sales growth company.

The book provides advice and tested strategies and techniques for a company at any level of its development as a business. The authors begin their description of their process by having entrepreneurs listen to the signals flowing from the business itself. The lessons from those internal sounds may surprise the entrepreneur, and lead the company in an entirely different direction. That is the power of listening and learning.

Jonathan Verney (photo left) and Drew Williams recognize that that understanding the groans and rumbles from the business are important. To better comprehend and act upon the sounds arising the business, the authors divide the book into two main sections.

The first part of the book is designed to better focus the entrepreneur on the overall strategy needed for identifying the true direction, products and services, and customers for the business. The second part of the book provides the methodology for growing the company that transforms an ordinary business into hard charging and hungry beast.

The authors present a workable and repeatable system that is effective regardless of the size of the company marketing budget. The book is based on longer cycle, complex sales as the driver of company revenue, but the seven-step process is also effective for other types of business models. The seven steps to building a successful growth based venture are as follows:

* Ask: How a single question can reveal your future
* Listen: And let your customers drive the bus
* Focus: Organizing your resources for the engagement
* Attract: The secret to being found by prospects
* Pursue: The secret of finding prospects
* Nurture: Nurture, convert, and grow big
* Grow: Measure your growth and track your success

For me, the power of the book is how Drew Williams and Jonathan Verney take a direct, no nonsense approach to providing their seven-step business growth process. The book has a sales and marketing orientation designed to build customers, and keep those customers returning over the long term. The key to this customer loyalty factor is the constant focus on and attention to listening to the needs, problems, and concerns of the customers themselves.

From the initial searching for prospects, to the their first contact with the company, to their initial purchase, to their long term relationship with with business, the authors stress a customer focus. By harnessing the immense global power and reach of the internet, a business is able to compete effectively with companies many times their size. The methodology offered in the book is tested and proven to work with companies of all types, regardless of industry. The key to rapid growth is listening and learning more about the customers, and delivering solutions to their challenges and easing their pain.

I highly recommend the indispensable and positive results focused book Feed the Startup Beast: A 7-Step Guide to Big, Hairy, Outrageous Sales Growth by Drew Williams and Jonathan Verney, to any current or would be entrepreneurs seeking a clear and concise road map to establishing a business based on strong sales and marketing strategies. The advice offered in this book is extensive, and using even a part of what is provided, will result in a massive explosion in your sales numbers.